Counsel to Chöying Wangmo

This Chöying Wangmo is listed among Ngawang Palzang's disciples as Jetsun Choying Wangmo in Wondrous Dance of Illusion (Ngawang Palzang 2014, p. 219). No further information about her is provided, and it is a common name for a woman. Judging from the instructions he gives her at the end of the text, she is clearly a student he values and respects, but it does not sound like she was a lama in her own right and may have been a practitioner from the aristocratic class.  ↩

Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer.  ↩

His root guru, Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpai Nyima, 1829–1901. The last two terms in his name mean “sun of the teachings.”  ↩

The term used is bu (“son”), but this can easily be an abbreviation of bu mo (“daughter”). Thus, care should be taken not to assume the gender of the term. The term’s affectionateness is of foremost importance, so often neutral terms like “dear student” or “my dear” are more appropriate.  ↩

Here, “inner afflictions” translates the common term nyon mongs (kleśa; “afflictions”): (1) unseeing, (2) anger, (3) pride, (4) desire, (5) jealousy. “Inner” is added just to fill out the meter a bit.  ↩

Interdependence (rten 'brel) is synonymous with “dependent arising/origination” as explained in the doctrine of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. Understanding this doctrine is the remedy to benightedness or stupidity (gti mug), which is sometimes used as a synonym for ignorance/unseeing (ma rig pa).  ↩

“Neutral” for lung ma bstan pa—lit. “not addressed in the scriptures” in the sense that some ordinary activities are not particularly good or bad on their own but depend on other factors to become good or bad.  ↩

The Four Thoughts/Reflections That Turn the Mind (blo ldog rnam bzhi) are essential contemplations for anyone seeking to be a sincere practitioner. They are always included in the “outer preliminaries” section of ngöndro (sngon 'gro) or preliminary practices. They are extended contemplations on (1) the opportunity afforded by a human birth replete with the ten freedoms and eight advantages; (2) the impermanence of life; (3) the defects of saṃsāra; (4) the principles of cause and effect. See the Khenpo’s own discussion of these in Ngawang Palzang, Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, pp. 17–82.  ↩

These three terms have distinct subtle meanings. “Mindfulness” (dran pa) is presence of mind, a mind that does not drift away from the objects it’s engaged with to flutter about. “Vigilance” (shes bzhin) is the mind on alert to protect and re-assert its mindfulness. “Precaution/carefulness” (bag yod) has an ethical meaning; it is the mindful and vigilant mind that is heedful of right and wrong as it engages with the world. rkya bar nas is explained by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche as "to manoeuver between the boundary" or between (bar) straight lines (rkya).  ↩

The Three Ways of Delighting/Pleasing the Guru (mnyes pa gsum). In ascending order of importance, these are to please the guru with (1) material support, (2) service, (3) sincerely applying the teachings to your own mind.  ↩

“Give your entire life to Dharma” renders the famous idiom rang mgo nyi ma chos kyis thon/bton. Khenpo Chöga explains, “The phrase ‘spend your time with dharma practice’ [rang mgo nyi ma chos kyis bton] means ’as long as the sun is shining on one’s head, spend your time with the dharma’ [rang gi mgo la dus tshod yod pa chos la 'bad stsol btang dgos]. Atiśa said that life is short and the fields of knowledge so many that one cannot possibly know them all. Therefore, as we do not know how much lifespan remains to us, we should not even try to study everything but rather should use our time well. Atiśa advises that we should be like the swan, said to be able to separate milk from water. Just as swans extract milk from water, practitioners should be able to extract the most essential points of practice from the vast teachings of the dharma” (Kretschmar, Drops of Nectar, 439).  ↩

Putowa (or Potowa) Rinchen Sel (1027–1105), one of the three main students of Dromtönpa, who was Atiśa’s main disciple.  ↩

A loose rendering of gnyis po 'di la 'du shes (“two + these + to + perceive”). Alternative, even looser renderings could be, “[always] see things through the filter of these two” or “make these two indelible parts of your consciousness/perception.” We are unable to find this quote in the Kadam literature; it is likely a paraphrase.  ↩

“Tantric practice is divided into two phases, the development stage and the completion stage. Lochen Dharmaśrī explains, “To summarize, the development stage involves transforming impure appearances into pure ones and meditating on the maṇḍala circle. In the completion stage, the aim is to realize the wisdom of bliss–emptiness.” The latter, he continues, can be divided further into two approaches, the conceptual completion stage and nonconceptual completion stage. He writes, “In this stage, one either meditates conceptually on the energies, channels, and essences, or nonconceptually by absorbing oneself in reality… Ju Mipham summarizes this phase as follows, “All the various forms of completion stage practice bring about the manifest appearance of pure wisdom by bringing the karmic energies into the central channel, though this may be brought about either directly or indirectly” (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Deity, Mantra, and Wisdom, p. 173).  ↩

The stages/levels and paths of the bodhisattvas. The Five Paths are (1) the path of accumulation, (2) joining, (3) seeing, (4) meditation, (5) no more learning. For an introduction to these and the more complicated Ten Levels, see Patrul, “Guide to the Stages and Paths of the Bodhisattvas.”  ↩

The term here, gnas, has a rich range of meanings including “source,” “arena,” “environment,” “sacred site.”  ↩

srid zhi—A phrase meaning all the possibilities of saṃsāric existence and nirvāṇa, the state of peace.  ↩

“Spontaneously arising” or “form born co-emergently.” The Tibetan term lhan skyes or lhan cig tu skyes pa means “born together at one time,” and it is mostly used in Dzogchen and Mahāmudrā discourses when describing the simultaneity of a given thing’s apparent aspect and its empty aspect.  ↩

rnam pa kun gyi mchog ldan dang ldan pa (Skt. Sarvākāravaropeta)—“An important technical term referring to the aspects of the sambhogakāya deities in their complete splendor and glory” (Trungpa, Rain of Wisdom, p. 369). More specifically, these are known as the Seven Aspects of Union (kha sbyor yan lag bdun ldan): “These seven aspects define the virtues of the sambhogakāya buddhas. According to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, these are the following: ‘Whatever manifestations of realms, palaces, and forms there are, peaceful and wrathful qualities, they do not exist on a gross level. They are forms of śūnyatā endowed with all the supreme qualities. Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of being without self nature. The mind of those buddhas are completely filled with the wisdom of unchanging nondual bliss-emptiness. Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of union. Their body, speech, and mind are eternally filled with the taste of great bliss, free from increase and decrease. Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of great bliss. In the realm and palace, none of the chief and retinue, devas and devīs, have ever known suffering. They are completely endowed with all the good qualities of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of complete enjoyment. Their wisdom of great bliss is free from meditation and postmeditation, neither increases nor decreases, and is without change or cessation. Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of freedom from interruption. As for themselves, they achieved such virtues, but through compassion, they eternally care for confused sentient beings. Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of having a mind completely filled with great compassion. Their buddha activity tames others at all times in all directions throughout the three times. Therefore, they are known as possessing the aspect of continuity’ ” (Trungpa. Rain of Wisdom, p. 342).  ↩

This is not a literal rendering of the Tibetan idiom srog la bzung. The literal “seize the life-force” is awkward in English and our “drink the lifeblood” better conveys the essential meaning.  ↩

This is most likely an exhortation to study and reflect on Patrul Rinpoche’s The Words of My Perfect Teacher and Khenpo Ngaga’s own commentary on it: A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher.  ↩

The “uncommon practices” here refers to the inner, or extraordinary preliminary practices (thun mong ma yin pa'i sngon 'gro). These are refuge, bodhicitta, Vajrasattva, maṇḍala offering, guru yoga, and offering the body. For a discussion of each of these, see Khenpo Ngawang Palzang’s Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, pp. 91–280. The outer, or common preliminaries (thun mong gi sngon 'gro), are the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind—contemplations of (1) precious human birth, (2) impermanence, (3) the defects of saṃsāra, (4) karmic cause and effect—as well as contemplations of the benefits of liberation and how to follow a spiritual teacher.  ↩

“Plain consciousness” translates the important (usually mahāmudrā) term tha mal gyi shes pa, most often translated as “ordinary mind.” We feel this translation risks being misunderstood as slightly pejorative when this term, in this context, is wholly positive. Moreover, specifically in Dzogchen, there is a discourse about distinguishing between [pure] awareness (rig pa) and ordinary mind (sems). In that latter context, “ordinary mind” has a negative connotation of being unenlightened. (See Dodrupchen, “Advice for Palseng” and “Advice for Hor Özer”.) Regarding “ordinary mind” which we translate as “plain consciousness,” the Third Khamtrul Rinpoche writes, “What is called “the naked ordinary mind” (tha mal gyi shes pa rjen pa), uncorrected and unaltered, is something a person inherently has from the time of being a child not yet caught up in thinking. One has reached that very state, and there is no need to involve oneself conceptually in trying to improve or change it. There is no need to cleanse the flaws of contamination by the stains of temporary deluded concepts or engage in purifications (Khamtrul, The Royal Seal of Mahāmudrā, 289).  ↩

“Threefold motionlessness” (mi g.yo gsum), or “three unmoving faculties.” The Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group explains, “The three unmoving faculties (mi g.yo gsum ldan) are those of body, speech, and mind. The first, the body unmoving (lus mi g.yo ba), refers mainly to the eyes, held in a relaxed and natural way, focused in space at a level above the eyebrows, neither too open nor closed. One assumes the meditation posture and abandons all other physical activities. For the second, unmoving speech (ngag mi g.yo ba), one applies the essential points regarding speech as explained in the instructions of the three isolations. For the third, unmoving mind (yid mi g.yo ba), one applies the essential points regarding mind in accordance with the instructions of the three isolations. One focuses the mind sharply on the obscurity of space at the level where the eyes are focused, and remains without thoughts [a summary of Tāranātha’s Meaningful to Behold: Manual of Instructions on the Indestructible Yoga’s Profound Path, ff. 11b7-12b3]” (Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group, The Elements of Tantric Practice, 336n8).  ↩

cog bzhag rnam bzhi. Sangye Khandro and Lama Chönam translate these as “four modes of placement.” In Yeshe Lama, Jigmé Lingpa explains these in the following way: “(a) Placement in the mountainlike view: After realizing the true nature—free of thoughts—as it is, remain in the naturally clear, great awareness that is not subject to mental efforts, grasping, or the usage of intentional meditation antidotes (against concepts]. (b) Oceanlike meditation: Sit in the lotus posture. Look at space in a state of openness. Avoid grasping at the perceptions of the six consciousnesses. Clear your cognition like the ocean free of waves. (c) Skill in activities: Abruptly relax your three doors of body, speech, and mind. Break free of the cocoon of view and meditation. Just maintain your clear, naked wisdom naturally. (d) Unconditional result: Let the five mental objects remain naturally as they are. Then natural clarity arises vividly within you” (Jigmed Lingpa, Yeshe Lama, 6). Erik Pema Kunsang translates them as the “fourfold freely resting.” Tsele Natsok Rangdrol writes, “At all times, as the core of your practice, exert yourself in [1] The view of the freely resting mountain – the unchanging realization of decisiveness in the state of space and awareness [2] The meditation of the freely resting ocean – the inseparability of appearance and emptiness beyond the concepts of fixation. [3] The instruction of the freely resting awareness – dissolving the covers of habitual tendencies and deluded clinging through imprisoning the chain of awareness-display… [4] The practice of the freely resting experience – nondistraction from the nature of the directly perceived wisdom [display] which remains ungoverned by dullness and sluggishness, thought diffusion and agitation, and which is unfettered by the experiences of bliss, clarity and nonthought” (Tsele, Circle of the Sun, 52).  ↩

“Voidness” translates gtan med (“absolute non-existence”), which in philosophical literature is something to be very critical and wary of. In this line, however, Khenpo Ngaga, perhaps playing a little with language, tells Chöying Wangmo to sustain and protect the recognition of the complete unreality of all mental stirrings.  ↩

“Eight trivialities” here stands for the “eight worldly concerns/dharmas,” ('jig rten gyi chos brgyad), the false paths of basing one’s happiness on gain and loss, feeling good and not good, praise and censure, and recognition and insignificance.  ↩

The Omniscient One here is Longchenpa.  ↩

The Four Wheels ('khor lo bzhi) are favorable conditions for a spiritual practitioner: (1) living in a favorable country (thun pa'i yul na gnas pa); (2) being able to follow a great being (skyes chen bsten pa); (3) having good aspirations (rang nyid legs smon); (4) having accumulated a store of merit (sngon bsod nams bsags pa).  ↩

Longchenpa  ↩